اپی باید تصمیم بگیرد

Chapter 10

Eppie has to decide

That evening Silas was resting in his chair near the fire, after the excitement of the day. Eppie was sitting close to him, holding both his hands, and on the table was Silas’s lost gold. He had put the coins in piles, as he used to.

‘You see, that’s all I ever did in the long evenings before you came to me,’ he was telling Eppie, ‘just count my gold. I was only half alive in those days. What a good thing the money was taken away from me! I was killing myself with working all day, and counting money half the night. It wasn’t a healthy life. And when you came, with your yellow curls, I thought you were the gold. And then, when I began to love you, I didn’t want my gold any more.’ He stopped talking for a moment and looked at the money. ‘The gold doesn’t mean anything to me now. But perhaps, if I ever lost you, Eppie, if you ever went away from me, I’d need my gold again. I’d feel lonely then, and I’d think God had forgotten me, and perhaps I’d go back to my bad old habits.’

There were tears in Eppie’s beautiful eyes, but she did not have time to answer Silas, as just then there was a knock on the door. When she opened it, Mr and Mrs Godfrey Cass came in.

‘Good evening, my dear,’ said Nancy, taking Eppie’s hand gently. ‘We’re sorry to come so late.’

‘Well, Marner,’ said Godfrey, as he and Nancy sat down, ‘I’m glad you’ve got your money back, and I’m very sorry it was one of my family who stole it from you. Whatever I can do for you, I will, to repay what I owe you — and I owe you a lot, Marner.’

Silas was always uncomfortable with important people like the young Squire. ‘You don’t owe me anything, sir. You’ve already been very kind to me. And that money on the table is more than most working people can save in their whole life.

Eppie and I don’t need very much.’

Godfrey was impatient to explain why they had come. ‘Yes, you’ve done well these last sixteen years, Marner, taking care of Eppie here. She looks pretty and healthy, but not very strong.

Don’t you think she should be a lady, not a working woman?

Now Mrs Cass and I, you know, have no children, and we’d like to adopt a daughter to live with us in our beautiful home and enjoy all the good things we’re used to. In fact, we’d like to have Eppie. I’m sure you’d be glad to see her become a lady, and of course we’d make sure you have everything you need. And Eppie will come to see you very often, I expect.’

Godfrey did not find it easy to say what he felt, and as a result his words were not chosen sensitively. Silas was hurt, and afraid His whole body trembled as he said quietly to Eppie after a moment, ‘I won’t stand in your way, my child. Thank Mr and Mrs Cass. It’s very kind of them.’

Eppie stepped forward. She was blushing, but held her head high. ‘Thank you, sir and madam. But I can’t leave my father.

And I don’t want to be a lady, thank you.’ She went back to Silas’s chair, and put an arm round his neck, brushing the tears from her eyes.

Godfrey was extremely annoyed. He wanted to do what he thought was his duty. And adopting Eppie would make him feel much less guilty about his past. ‘But, Eppie, you must agree,’ he cried. iYouaremydaughter!M.arner,JLppie’s my own child. Her mother was my wife.’

Eppie’s face went white. Silas, who had been relieved by hearing Eppie’s answer to Godfrey, now felt angry. ‘Then, sir,’ he answered bitterly, ‘why didn’t you confess this sixteen years ago, before I began to love her? Why do you come to take her away now, when it’s like taking the heart out of my body? God gave her to me because you turned your back on her! And He considers her mine!’

‘I know I was wrong, and I’m sorry,’ said Godfrey. ‘But be sensible, Marner! She’ll be very near you and will often come to see you. She’ll feel just the same towards you.’

‘Just the same?’ said Silas more bitterly than ever. ‘How can she feel the same? We’re used to spending all our time together!

We need each other!’

Godfrey thought the weaver was being very selfish. ‘I think) Marner,’ he said firmly, ‘that you should consider what’s best for Eppie. You shouldn’t stand in her way, when she could have a better life. I’m sorry, but I think it’s my duty to take care of my own daughter.’

Silas was silent for a moment. He was worried that perhaps Godfrey was right, and that it was selfish of him to keep Eppie.

At last he made himself bring out the difficult words. ‘All right.

I’ll say no more. Speak to the child. I won’t prevent her from going.’

Godfrey and Nancy were relieved to hear this, and thought that Eppie would now agree. ‘Eppie, my dear,’ said Godfrey, ‘although I haven’t been a good father to you so far, I want to do my best for you now. And my wife will be the best of mothers to you.’

‘I’ve always wanted a daughter, my dear,’ added Nancy in her gentle voice.

But Eppie did not come forward this time. She stood by Silas’s side, holding his hand in hers, and spoke almost coldly.

‘Thank you, sir and madam, for your kind offer. But I wouldn’t be happy if I left father. He’d have nobody if I weren’t here.

Nobody shall ever come between him and me!’

‘But you must make sure, Eppie,’ said Silas worriedly, ‘that you won’t be sorry, if you decide to stay with poor people. You could have a much better life at the Red House.’

‘I’ll never be sorry, father,’ said Eppie firmly. ‘I don’t want to be rich, if I can’t live with the people I know and love.’

Nancy thought she could help to persuade Eppie. ‘What you say is natural, my dear child,’ she said kindly. ‘But there’s a duty you owe to your lawful father. If he opens his home to you, you shouldn’t turn your back on him.’

‘But I can’t think of any home except this one!’ cried Eppie, tears running down her face. ‘I’ve only ever known one father!

And I’ve promised to marry a working man, who’ll live with us, and help me take care of father!’

Godfrey looked at Nancy. ‘Let’s go,’ he said to her bitterly, in a low voice.

‘We won’t talk of this any more,’ said Nancy, getting up. ‘We just want the best for you, Eppie my dear, and you too, Marner.

Good night.’

Nancy and Godfrey left the cottage and walked home in the moonlight. When they reached home, Godfrey dropped into a chair. Nancy stood near him, waiting for him to speak. After a few moments he looked up at her, and took her hand.

‘That’s ended!’ he said sadly.

She kissed him and then said, ‘Yes, I’m afraid we can’t hope to adopt her, if she doesn’t want to come to us.’

‘No,’ said Godfrey, ‘it’s too late now. I made mistakes in the past, and I can’t put them right. I wanted to be childless once, Nancy, and now I’ll always be childless.’

He thought for a moment, and then spoke in a softer voice.

‘But I’ve got you, Nancy, and yet I’ve been wanting something different all the time. Perhaps from now on I’ll be able to accept our life better, and we’ll be happier.’

The following spring, there was a wedding in Raveloe. The sun shone warmly as Eppie walked through the village towards the church, with Silas, Aaron and Dolly. Eppie was wearing the beautiful white wedding dress she had always dreamed of which Nancy Cass had bought for her. She was walking arm in arm with her father, Silas.

‘I promise nothing will change when I’m married, father,’ she whispered to him as they entered the church. ‘You know I’ll never leave you.’

There was quite a crowd of villagers outside the church to see the wedding. Just then Miss Priscilla Lammeter and her father drove into the village.

‘Look, father!’ cried Priscilla. ‘How lucky! We’re in time to see the weaver’s daughter getting married! Doesn’t she look lovely? I’m sorry Nancy couldn’t find a pretty little orphan girl like that to take care of.’

‘Yes, my dear,’ agreed Mr Lammeter. ‘Now that we’re all getting older, it would be good to have a young one in the family. Unfortunately, it’s too late now.’

They went into the Red House, where Nancy was waiting for them. They had come to spend the day with her, because Godfrey was away on business and she would perhaps be lonely without him. The Casses were not going to Eppie’s wedding.

When the little wedding group came out of the church, the villagers and Silas’s family all went to the Rainbow. There a wonderful wedding lunch was waiting for them, which had been ordered and paid for by Godfrey Cass.

‘It’s very generous of the young Squire to pay for all this,’ said the landlord as he refilled the beer glasses.

‘Well, what would you expect?’ replied old Mr Macey sharply. ‘Remember, it was his own brother who stole the weaver’s gold! And Mr Godfrey has always helped Master Marner, with furniture and clothes and so on, since young Eppie came to the cottage. Well, it’s only right to help a man like Master Marner. And I’d like you all to remember-1 was the first to tell you I thought Master Marner was harmless — and I was right! Now let’s drink to the health of the happy young couple!’

And the villagers lifted their glasses and cried, ‘To Eppie and Aaron!’

When the meal was over and the guests had begun to return to their homes, Silas, Eppie and her new husband walked slowly back to their cottage by the quarry. It had been enlarged by Godfrey Cass’s workmen, and was looking lovely in the late afternoon sunshine.

‘Oh father,’ said Eppie. ‘What a pretty home ours is! I think nobody could be happier than we are!’